A CONFIDENTIAL 24-hour telephone helpline for patients and carers has been launched by Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance and Paramedic Service (Bhaps) and NHS Direct.
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (Pals) was set up to provide callers with advice and information, while giving them an opportunity to give feedback on the ambulance or NHS Direct services.
It aims to solve problems, resolve concerns, offer information about local health services and support groups, explain the complaints procedure and hear comments about care received.
All calls are confidential but logged and analysed to help improve services.
Pals will work in conjunction with systems already in use, such as health information facilities at NHS Direct and the trust's on-call system.
Bhaps chief executive Anne Walker said: "Patient involvement is a vital part of the NHS.
"Pals not only offers a valuable service to the public but will also pay a key role in improving the service provided by Bhaps and NHS Direct Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
"It will do this by providing information from patients and their families that the trust needs in order to develop and enhance the services we provide to Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire."
The Pals telephone number, which will be displayed in every ambulance and on cards to be handed out to the public, is 01234 275675.
August 20, 2002 17:30
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